Now, as we wrap up our blog series on professional ghosting, it’s important to look at how ghosting has – in some instances – replaced the normal “two weeks notice” that people give when quitting their job.

This Washington Post article has all kinds of interesting data on how/why more people are not only ghosting out of meetings or work emails – but out of their jobs entirely.

The article points to the increase in jobs as part of the reason. Workers have more power:

Workers have less incentive to respect the old norm, said David Lewis, chief executive of OperationsInc, a national human resources consulting firm. Over the past year, he has seen a 20 percent upswing in employees departing less than two weeks after they give notice. “It’s absolutely being directly impacted by the unemployment level, the lack of available talent and the number of positions companies are trying to fill,” Lewis said.

But the article also points out that people who are ghosting out before their two weeks may be using their power without necessarily thinking of the long-term ramifications:

Sudden exits can burn some professional bridges, especially when they can hurt business. Managers who scramble to pick up the slack at peak hours are not likely to deliver glowing reviews down the road.

This is a good point, and I urge anyone out there who may feel tempted to (or vindicated by) ghosting out before their two weeks notice to NOT DO IT. While work culture trends continue to evolve, you will never regret being professional.

I hope you will read the entire Washington Post article. It has multiple stories that help bring understanding and insight to this whole phenomenon of people ghosting out of one job and into another.